Car wheel grinding machine



Aug. 5, 1952 o. E. HILL CAR WHEEL. GRINDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 26, 1950 Iwclzor 'O/VA E. H/LL www Aug. 5, 1952 o. E. HILL CAR WHEEL GRINDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Frled April 26, 1950 L M Wm obv bv .ws r y wr. uw MN .QTY QQ .um W n@ om @n Y Nw s www NQ SN. s W0 N hw mm NWS mw. @hmwbo NQ oQ l@ m@ mh I ...J1 .MRA m5 Jim1 j K M... .c Q u Tlv .lm IL um@ MM Q@ Nn @m5 @E w www @Q www QN. @Nl wb .mW` l QQ NQ m\\.m\h\ NS f1 QM f om N www* Aug. 5, 1952 o. E. HILL CAR WHEEL. GRINDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 26, 1950 Haft orne] //'7 4 H5 (fg.

Aug- 5, 1952 o. E. HILL 2,605,591

CAR WHEEL GRINDING MACHINE Filed April 26 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Allg 5, 1952 O. E. HILL 2,605,591

CAR WHEEL GRINDING MACHINE;

Filed April 2e', 195o v e sheets-sheet 5 Z4-L [,3/ 2 7g 30 p Zwerver Aug.5,1952 j Opa-HILL 2,605,591

CAR WHEEL GRINDLNC MACHINE:

Filed April 26, 195o v v e sheets-sheet e fag. /0

...Im/cuter Patented Aug. 5, 17952 CAR WHEEL GRINDING MACHINE Oiva E. Hill, West Boylston, Mass., assignor to Norton Company; Worcester, Mass.,.a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 26, 1950,.' Serial No. y158,244

l The invention relates to grinding machines, and more particularly to a car wheel grinding machine for simultaneously grinding a pair of I being provided with swivel supports to facilitate grinding tapered surfaces on a pair of spaced car wheels.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car wheel grinding machine with spaced vertically arranged wheel slides for rotatable grinding wheels to engage the upper surface of a pair of spaced car wheels being ground which is arranged so as to eliminate'the necessity-of moving the grinding wheel slides through a relatively long positioning stroke before and afterv grinding. Another object is to provide a car wheel grinding machine for grinding a pair of spaced car wheels in which the car wheel assembly may be rolled into and out of the machine before and after grinding without the necessity of shifting the grinding wheel assemblies to and from operative positions. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved gauging `apparatus whereby a pair ofs'pacedY car wheels may be readily ground to the same diameters.

Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed yout hereinafter. The inventionaccordingly consists in the, features of'construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. y v In theaccompanying drawings, in which is shown one of various possible Yembodiments of rthe vmechanical features of this invention,

Fig. lis a front elevation ofthe improved car wheel grinding machine;

Fig. 2v is 'a plan view of the machine having parts broken away to more clearlyillustrate the car wheel driving mechanism;

larged scale, taken approximately' on the-line- 4-4 vof Fig. 1, through the grinding wheel trav'-v ersing mechanismV for the left-hand grinding wheel head; Y Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, through the feeding mechanism for the left-hand grinding wheel head;

Fig. 6 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale,vof the right-hand work head;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 'l-'l of Fig. 6, through the rightlha'n'd work head;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, through the car wheel driving mechanism; l

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section view", on an enlarged scale, taken approximately on the line 9 9 ofl Fig. 1, showing the gaugingdevice for the'right-hand car wheel; and

Fig. l0 is a fragmentary diagrammatic vie of the car wheel gauging apparatus.

A car wheel grinding machine has been i1lus' trated in the drawings having a base I Iluwhich is set within a concrete foundation II so that the top surface I2 of the base I0 is substantially on the same level as the floor level I3` (see Fig. 1). The vbase Ill serves as a-'support for a *pairl of spaced work vheads Ill and I5 which are provided with longitudinally Vadjustable work spindles z'IB and If'I`j`respectively.y The-work-spindles'l and Il are in 'turn provided with work engaging and supportingcenters I8 and I9 respectively for' supporting acar wheel laxle assembly 20 havin'ga pair'of kspaced Acar wheels" 2| and`22 Vixedly mounted thereon. l y v y In order to fcilitate supporting a car wheel assembly 20 onthe centers l8 and I9y so that'the cariwheels 2l and 22 areraised' off their normal supp( irt,'eachv of the work heads I4 and I5A are provided with a vertical adjustment to facilitate raisingjor 'lowering the centers I8 Yand I9 inset-'- ting up the machine. The adjustment ofthe two worl; heads is identical consequently only one of the vadjusting mechanisms has been illustrated in detail; The workghead I5 Vis provided Withfa vertically adjustable slide 25 for suppotingthe spindlev I1 and the center I9. The slide 25u-'is provided with a vertically arranged doveta-iled slideway` 26 which mates with a verticallyarranged dovetailed slideway 21 formed on the work head I5. 1 In order "to facilitate a vertical'ad'justr ment ofthe slide 25,1alrotatable feed' s crwf2 8 is rotatably mounted inl' spaced bearings rqia'ni 3Il 5 vertically adjustable motor base l89. The motor base 89 isprovided with a dovetailed slideway 90 which mates with a correspondingly shaped way on'the wheel slide 85. In order to facilitate adjustment of the motor 88 and the motor base 89, ari-adjusting screw 9| is provided which is rotatably supported by a bracket 92 whic-h is in turn iixedly mounted on the upper surface of the wheel slide 85. The motor 88 is provided with a multiple V-groove pulley =93 which is connected by multiple- V-belts 94 with a multiple V-groove pulley 95 mounted on the left-hand end of the wheel spindle 86 (Fig. 1).

The horizontally arrangedv member 8| is connected by a pivotally mounted stud 98 with the column 80. A stud 99 projects rearwardly from the right-hand end of the member 8| between a pair of spaced lugs which are formed in tegral with column 80. Opposed adjusting screws |02 are provided on the lugs |00 tc facilitate a pivotal adjustment of the horizontal member 8| to adjust the path of movement of the horizontal slide 83. A manually operable hand wheel |04 isprovided for adjusting the wheel slide vertically in a manner to be hereinafter described.l Similarly a manually operable hand w-heel |05 is provided for traversing the horizontally arranged Ycarriage 83 to facilitate traversing the grinding wheel 81 relative to the car wheel 2| being ground. The column '80 is provided with a pair of laterally extending lugs |06 and |01 (Fig. 2) ywhich co-operate with a pair of guiding and clamping blocks |03 and |09 respectively which are mounted on the horizontally arranged member 8|. The blocks |078 and |09 serve to hold i the horizontally arranged member 8| in position relative to the column 80 and if desired may be utilized to clamp the member .8| in adjusted position relative to the column 80.

' The feeding mechanisms for the wheel slides 5'5 and 85'are identical in construction,v consequently only one of these mechanisms have been illustrated in detail. Similarly identical traversing mechanisms are provided for traversing the horizontal slides 53 and 83. Consequently only one of these mechanisms has been illustrated in detail.

As shown in Fig. 4, a feed screw ||5 is fixedly mounted within the horizontally arranged member 8|. The feed screw |I5 meshes with a nut |6 which is rotatablysupported in anti-friction bearings carried by a rearwardly projected portion ofthe horizontal slide 83. A bevel gear |.|.1 is formedintegral with the nut |I6 and meshes with a` bevel gear ||8 fixedly mountedv on'the 4vendof'a rotatable shaft ||9. The shaft ||9 is journalled in spaced bearings and |2| supported within a housing |22 (Fig. 4). The hand wheel |05 is mounted on the outer end'of the shaft' I3, by means of which the nut I6 may be rotated in either direction to cause a longitudinal traversing movement ofthe horizontal slide 83. The mechanism for traversing the horizontal slide 53 is identical with that just described and ,consequently has not been illustrated in detail.

' f A-suitable vertical feeding mechanism is provided for 'the wheel slide 85 comprising a feed screw |25 which is flxedly supported within the horizontally movable slide 83. The feed screw 25 meshes with a rotatable nut |26 which is journalled' inl anti-friction bearings carried` by a rearwardly projected portion of the wheel slide 8 5. A bevel gear |21 is formed integral with the nut |26 and meshes with a bevel gear |28 mounted onthe right-hand end of a rotatable shaft |29 6. (Fig. 5).` The shaftA |29 is supported by a pair of spaced bearings |30 and |3| which are in turn supported by a housing |32 xedly mounted on and projected from the wheel lslide 85.

A friction type driving mechanism is provided for rotating the car wheelaxle'assembly 20. This mechanism may comprise a pair of spaced pneumatic tires |40 and |4| which are positioned and arranged to frictionally engage the peripheral surface of the car wheels 2| and 22 respectively. The tires |40 and |4| are mounted on a pair of spaced wheels |42 and |43 respectively which are in turn supported on a shaft |44 (Fig. 8). The shaft |44 is journalled in bearings within a housing' |45.

A fluid pressure operated mechanism is provided for moving the housing |45 together with the tires |40 and |4| into frictional driving engagement with car wheels 2l and 22 respectively. This mechanism may comprise an identical cylinder |46 having a slidably mounted piston |41 which is formed on the lower end of a piston rod |48. The upper end of the piston rod |48 is loosely connected toA the housing |45. When fluid under pressure is admitted through a pipe |49 into a cylinder chamber |50, the piston |41 is moved upwardly together with the housing |45 tomove the tires |40 and |4| -into operative driving engagement with the Wheels 2| and 22 respectively. Such pressure is provided to the cylinder chamber |50 so that the tires are flexed at the point of driving contact so that a sub-- stantial area of the tire surface is in frictional engagement with the car wheel. A suitable driving mechanism is provided for rotating the shaft |44 such as for example an electric motor |5| which is mounted within the base I0 of the machine. The motor |5| is provided with a multiple V-groove pulley |52 which is connected by multiple V-belts |53 with a multiple V-grcove pulley |54 which is mounted on a drive shaft |55 of a speed reducer unit |56. The speed reducer unit |56 may be of any of the standard well known commercial speed reducers. The driven shaft |51 of the speed reducer unit |56 is connected by a universal joint |58 with a shaftA |59 (Fig. 2). The shaft |59 serves as a support for a bevel gear |60 which meshes with a bevel gear |6| mounted on the shaft |44. It will be readily apparent from the foregoing disclosure that when uid is admitted to the cylinder chamber |50, the tires are raised into driving engagement with the car wheels 2| and' 22 so that the motor |5| is started. A rotarymotion will be imparted through the` driving mechanism above described to rotate the shaft |44, the wheels |42 and |43 and the tires |40 and |4| to impart a rotary motion to the car wheels 2| and 22 for a grinding operation.

In the grinding or regrinding of car wheel assemblies it is desirable to true up the periphery of the car wheel and also to true up the pair of wheels to the same diameters. In order to facilitate grinding the car wheels 2| and 22 to the same diameters, a suitable gauging apparatus is provided. This apparatus may comprise a rock shaft |65 which is journalled in bearings |64 in the base |9 of the machine. A pair of spaced gauging arms |66 and |61 are fixedly mounted on the rock shaft |65 and are arranged to swing toward and from the periphery of the car Vwheels to be ground. The arms lI 66 and |61 are provided with spring pressed car engaging elements |68 and |69 respectively'which are arranged to engage actuating plungersv |10 and |1| respectively!v of a pair of normally-open limit switches |12 and |13 respectively.` The limit-switch |12 is connected to anl electric light socket |14 Which supports a light bulb |15. Sim-ilarly the llimit switch |13 is connectedfto a light socket |16 which supports a.V

light bulb |11. Power is supplied from therpower lines |18 to the limitswitches |12 and |13'and to the sockets |14 and|16 so that When thelimit switch |12 or.l the limit switch |13 is closed, the light'bulb |15 or the light bulb |11 Will be illuminated.

In order to'faci-litate maintaining the gauging arms |66and |61 in an operative-position, a suitable counter-balancemechanism is provided. A rod |16 supporting an adjustably mounted Y counter-balance weight |80 is supported in vfixed relationship '-with theV gauging arm4 |66 Aso that it-tends torcck the arm V|66 in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 9)y to maintain the contact plunger |68.either in engagement with the'ca'r Wheel 22 or in close proximity thereto. Similarly the arm |61 is provided with. a rod |8| supporting an adjustably mounted counter-balance Weight |82. Both of the arms |66and |61 being nxed to the shaft |65, the effect of the counterbalance Weights |80 and |82.serves tosimultaneously maintainboth'of theY gauging arms |66 and |61 in operative positions. When a grinding operation is started, the weights |80 and |82 are free to swing the gauging arms |66 and |61 into operativev relation with the periphery-of the'car Wheels 2| and 22 respectively'. It will be readily appreciated'from the foregoing disclosure. that on'eor both of the lights |15 and |11 Will be illuminated. If both of the car wheels tobe ground are of thefsame diameter then both of the lights will be illuminated. If. the car Wheel 2| is slightly larger in diameter, the plunger |68 will engage the periphery of the carl wheel 2| thereby closing the limit switch |12 and illuminating the light bulb |15. The car Wheel 22 being slightly smaller in diameter, the plunger |69 Will. remain slightly bly 20 is rolled into the machine on .the rails 45 outof engagement with the Aperiplfrery of the car wheel 22 or it maycontact the carwheel 22 but insufficient movement of' the contact member |69 is obtained to close the limit switch |13, consequently the light bulb |11 Will not be illuminated; In the latter example, the operator starts grinding the car Wheel 2| by manipulation of the feed Wheel |04 and theV traverse Wheel |05. This grindingr operation` is. continued until. the periphery of the car Wheel-.2| isreducedsufciently in diameter so that the contact member |69 en.- gages the periphery of the car wheelv 22 soas to. close the limit switch |13. andailluminat'e the light bulb |11, thus indicating that both of the car `Wheels 2| and.22 are of the same diameter.

Ifv desired, the car vvheel22` being of a slightly smaller diameter than the car Wheel 2|, the grinding operation may be initiated onv the car wheel' 22by manipulationofthe feed VWheel 14 and the traverse Wheel 15. to true up the periphery of the car wheel 22. If this procedure isioll'owed the light bulb |11 remains out during the truing up operation on the car Wheel 22. After the vperiphery of.. the car Wheel 22 has been truedup to the desired extent, the grinding Wheel,

|31 may bemanipulated by actuation of the feed wheel |64 and the traverse Wheel |05 to true up the periphery of the car Wheel 2|'. During this operation'the light bulb |15 is illuminated.4 The grinding operation on the'car Wheel 2| is'continued until'the diameter thereof is reduced sumcientlyso' that the; rocking movement of Lthe shaftz-,I'Gand the gauging arm-|61 will'movethe and 46 until the axis of the assembly 20 isin a vertical plane passi-ng through the Work supportingV centers IS. and I9..v The hand wheels 44 and .38 are then actuated to move thespindles |6 and I1 toward each other so that the Work centers- I8 and I9 move into engagement with center. holes in the opposite ends of the car Wheel axle assembly 20 and raise the assembly slightly off the rails 45 and 46.- Fluid under pressure is then passed through the pipe |49 into the cylinder chamber |50 to raise the housing |45 thereby moving the pneumatic tires |40 and |4| into driving contact with the peripheries of the car Wheels 2| and 22. The motor |5| is started to rotate the tires |46 and |4| in a manner above described to impart a rotarymotion tothe car Wheel assembly 20. The motors 58 and 88 are then started to start rotation of the grinding wheels 51 and 81 after Which the grinding operation may be initiated. The gauging arms |66 and |61 move in a counterclockwise direction until oneor both of the plungers |68 and |69 engage the periphery of one or both of the car Wheels 2| and 22. The grinding operation may then be performed in a manner above described by manipulation of the feed Wheels 14 and |05 to grind true surfaces on thev periphery of the car Wheels 2| and 22 Whichvare of the. same diameter. ItA Will be readily apparent from the foregoing'disclosure that the horizontal members 5| and 8| may be swivelled about the pivot studs 68 and 98- in a manner above described to grind either a true cylindrical or a tapered surface on the periphery of the car Wheels 2| and 22.

After both of the car wheels'Zl and 22 have been: ground to vthe predetermined extent, the grinding Wheels 51 and 81 may be slightly backed off'suiciently so that the-Wheels 51 and 81 are out of contact Withcar wheels after. Whichthe work centers I8 and IS'may: be withdrawn'by manipulation' of the hand Wheels 44 and 38' so that the car wheel assembly 20 is lowered onto the rails '45 and 46 after which the car Wheel assembly 20'may be rolled off the machine in either direction.

It Will thus be seen that there has been providedby this invention apparatus in which the various objects hereinabove set Vforth together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. As many possible em'- bodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the/em'- bodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set 'forth or shown'in the accompanying drawings is tobe interpreted as illustrativeand notV in av limiting sense.

lpln. a grinding machine for grinding the treads ofra pair of spaced car Wheelsassembled on'their axlehaving a base, a pair of spaced vvorlfr heads having aligned manuallyadjustable centers,` "av pair of spaced continuousrails to arranged to engage center holes in opposite ends of said assembly to raise said assembly from said Y adjust said centers vertically, said centers being rails into a grinding position and rotatably to A support the assembly for a grindingoperation, a pair of spaced vertically extending columns on said base, a longitudinally traversable carriage on each of said columns, a vertically adjustable wheel slide on each of said carriages, a rotatable grinding Wheel on each of said Wheel slides, means including independent swivel connections between each of said carriages and its supporting column, and precise means including independent screw mechanisms to facilitate an angular adjustment of the path of movement of said carriages in a substantially vertical plane for grinding a predetermined taper on the car Wheels being ground.

2. In a car wheel grinding machine, as claimed in claim 1, in combination with the parts and features therein specified of a car wheel gauging apparatus including a rock shaft which is arranged substantially parallel with the axis of the carrwheel assembly being ground, a pair of spaced gauging arms fixedlyv mounted on said shaft, a spring-pressed plunger on each of said arms, an adjustable counter-balance for said shaft normally to maintain one or both of said plungers in engagement with the spaced car wheels being ground, an independent limit switch on each of said arms associated with each of said plungers, and an independent signal light connected with each of said switches, said gauge parts being arranged so that both of said signal lights are illuminated when the car wheels have been ground to the same diameters.

3. In a car wheel grinding machine, as claimed in claim 1, in combination with the parts and features therein specified in which each of the Work heads is provided with a vertically adjustable slide, a horizontally adjustable center supporting spindle on each of said slides, a manually operable nut and screw mechanism to adjust said spindles longitudinally for moving the centers into supporting engagement with the car axle assembly, and means including an independent nut and screw mechanism to adjust each of said slides vertically to vary the height of said spindles and centers in setting up the machine'for accommodating car Wheels of different diameters.

4. In a car Wheel grinding machine, as claimed in claim 1, in combination with the parts and features therein specified of a car wheel driving mechanism comprising a pair vof spaced pneumatic wheels, a rotatable shaft therefor, a horizontally arranged vertically movable housing, spaced bearings therein for supporting said shaft, a drive for said shaft including an electric motor, a gear reducer driven thereby, driving connections between said reducer and the central portion of said shaft, and means including a piston and cylinder to support the central portion of said housing, said piston and cylinder being arranged to raise and lower said housing to move the pneumatic Wheels into frictional driving engagement with the peripheries of said car wheels.

5. In a grinding machine for grinding the v treads of a pair of spaced car wheels assembled on their axle-having a base, a pair of spaced Work heads having aligned manually adjustable centers, a pair of spaced continuous rails to facilitate rolling an assembly into and out of the machine before and after grinding, a pair of spaced vertically extending columns on said base. an adjustable vertically arranged plate on each of said columns, a horizontal pivot stud on each of said columns to support vsaid plates, a horizontally traversable carriage on each of said plates, a vertically adjustable Wheel slide on each of said carriages, a rotatable grinding Wheel on each of said slides, means including an independent vmanually operable hand Wheel to traverse each of said carriages longitudinally, means including an independent manually operable hand wheel to feed each of said Wheel slides vertically to feed the grinding wheels toward and from the car Wheels being ground, and precise means including opposed adjusting screwsangularly to adjust said plates relative to said columns to facilitate adjustment of the path of travel of said carriages so as to grind predetermined tapers on said car wheels.

OIVA E. I-IILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

